title: Prevalence of diabetes mellitus in patients with shoulder symptoms is low.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with diabetes mellitus have a high risk of developing symptoms from their shoulder. The generally accepted theory is that high blood glucose levels cause excessive glycosylation and that the delay in diagnosing diabetes mellitus may influence the risk of acquiring a musculoskeletal disorder. The aim of the study was to determine whether there was a large percentage of undiagnosed diabetes mellitus in a population of patients with shoulder symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of patients who were referred by their GP with shoulder symptoms. HbA1c level was measured, and height, weight, sex, age and diabetes status were registered. Patients with shoulder symptoms were compared to a group of patients who had been referred with knee symptoms and to the regional prevalence of unknown and diagnosed diabetes mellitus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 221 patients with shoulder symptoms were included. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of unknown diabetes mellitus between the group of patients with shoulder symptoms and the group of patients with knee symptoms or the regional prevalence. There was a significantly higher prevalence of diagnosed diabetes mellitus in the group of patients with shoulder symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The low prevalence of unknown diabetes mellitus we observed in this study may be owed to the fact that upper extremity disorder often occurs years after onset of diabetes, and for that reason patients have already been diagnosed when the extremity disorder is present. This study demonstrates a higher prevalence of diagnosed diabetes mellitus among patients with shoulder symptoms. It is important for physicians to be aware of this in the treatment of patients with shoulder symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Ortopædisk Afdeling, Kolding Sygehus, 6000 Kolding, Denmark. peargun@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Per Hviid
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Gundtoft
authors.forename: Anne Krogh
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Kristensen
authors.forename: Birthe Anette
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Gulaksen
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Brandslund
authors.forename: Jette Wessel
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Vobbe
authors.forename: Lilli
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sørensen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012785:Shoulder Joint; D055815:Young Adult